US Department of State Determines Interview Waivers are in the National Interest for Several Visa Categories

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  • On December 21, 2023, the Department of State (DOS) announced that it had consulted with the Department Homeland Security and determined that several categories of interview waivers are in the national interest.

  • The implementation of this policy began as of January 1, 2024, allowing consular officers to waive the in-person interview for:

    • First time H-2 visa applicants (temporary agricultural and nonagricultural workers) and

    • Other nonimmigrant visa applicants applying for any nonimmigrant visa classification who:

    • Were previously issued a nonimmigrant visa in any classification, unless the only prior issued visa was a B visa; and

    • Are applying within 48 months of their most recent nonimmigrant visa’s expiration date.

  • However, consular officers may still require in-person interviews on a case-by-case basis or because of local conditions, and therefore DOS encourages applicants to check embassy and consulate websites.

  • Additionally, DOS did not extend the waiver of interviews for F-1 (Student) and J-1 (Exchange Visitor) visa applicants. Therefore, the American Council on Education (ACE) and 25 other higher education associations wrote to the US Secretary of State urging the Secretary to extend and make permanent the waiver of in-person visa interviews for international students and scholars applying for F-1 and J-1 visas. The waiver available for F-1 and J-1 students was set to expire at the end of the 2023.